Queen Latifahstrongly believes the age-old adage that “health is wealth” — and she plans to spend that currency.
“We want to live long healthy lives,” the 51-year-old star ofTheEqualizertells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “We want to be around to see all the good things happen, you know?”
That’s why Latifah teamed up with pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk for their"It’s Bigger Than Me" campaignthat aims to destigmatize obesity through a video series and online resources. “I’ve been through it: struggling with weight loss, yo-yo dieting,” she says. “But the reality is when it comes to obesity, it is a clinical condition. It’s in your DNA. Maybe your hormones are doing something that you’re not aware of and that’s something for a professional to deal with.”
Novo Nordisk
BMI is a calculation that tries to categorize weight and measure body fat in adults. Since it compares weight and height, BMI does not measure body fat directly. The index is a common convention butexperts consider it a flawed standard because it was not developed to include people of color.
The Tyler Twins
Even before that, Latifah, born Dana Elaine Owens, said growing up in New Jersey that “I was big for my size,” she says. “Looking at my class pictures, I’m the tallest girl.” Once her body began to change, Latifah only became “more conscious” of how she looked. “As you hit puberty people start looking at you in a different way, and people can be mean,” Latifah says. “I dealt with all of that.”
Luckily, Latifah could lean onher mom Rita Owens— an art teacher whodied in 2018after struggling with a heart condition — for guidance. “I had a mother who kind of talked me through that,” she says. “I had so many friends whose parents would not have one conversation with them about it, and you need to know what’s gonna happen to you as a young woman.”
Queen Latifah and her mom Rita Owens.Johnny Nunez/Wireimage
At age 18, Latifah experienced what she calls “flashes of self-hate” that she quickly wanted to end. “I said, ‘Dana, you’re either going to hate yourself, or you’re going love yourself.’ And I decided at that moment I’m going to love myself,” Latifah says. “I don’t want to ever be in a place where I don’t love me.”
Loving oneself has proven to be a journey for Latifah. “Life has valleys and its peaks,” she says. “I’m always trying to work towards becoming a better me.”
RELATED VIDEO: Queen Latifah Stars in Novo Nordisk’s “It’s Bigger Than Me” Campaign to End Obesity Stigma
Entering the music industry as a rapper, with her first albumAll Hail the Queendropping in 1989, tested her resilience as she witnessed the extreme dieting and weight loss tactics her peers would employ. “Watching other artists who were big, platinum artists, prepare for their albums, they would drop all of this weight, get a six-pack, and I’m like, ‘Do I have to do that in order to be successful?'” Latifah says. “But I’m not that person.”
That didn’t stop people around Latifah from suggesting to her that she change her appearance. “I’ve heard more conversations than you can imagine, but they sounded so crazy to me,” she says. “I knew I should not take advice from these people.”
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Something else that Latifah found perplexing: stylists who didn’t know how to dress her body, which she says has never worn less than a size 10. “They don’t know what kind of clothes to put on you, they don’t know where to shop for you, they don’t know how to tailor things for you,” she says. “And I’m like, ‘God, do I have to just lose weight to make it easier for everyone else?'”
Eventually, Latifah found designers like Escada and Badgley Mischka, and her stylist Tiffany Snell, who have helped her createdred carpet looksshe loved. “The most important thing is showing up on that carpet with confidence, and allowing others to see that,” the Grammy winner says.
In 2003, after losing 25 lbs. Latifah underwent breast reduction surgery to alleviate years of back and shoulder pain. Five years later, she served as a spokesperson for Jenny Craig. Even though Latifah doesn’t consider herself a “fad diet person,” she knew “I did encounter challenges with my weight.” Latifah also has a family history of diabetes, one of the conditions— along with coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease, high blood pressure, Osteoarthritis and sleep apnea — that obese people can be at risk for, giving her another reason she to keep tabs on her health.
Latifah sees her doctors at least once a year and urges other obese people to do the same. “When it comes to your health, we’ve got to get real,” she says. “You have to check in with your body, check in with your doctor. They’re the ones who actually have the knowledge to help you.”
Consulting medical experts helped Latifah understand the difference between health and body size. “Just because you’re slim doesn’t mean you’re healthy,” the Broadway vet says. “A lot of people, they’ll be half my size, but they’re actually malnourished. I’m probably healthier than half those people just because I know where I stand. I know what I’m made of.”
Barbara Nitke/CBS
After decades of facing Hollywood stereotypes and feeling judged because of her weight, “I’m in a good place,” Latifah says. “I’ve learned to manage my body.”
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source: people.com
